Father Dearest
by Kusari-Gama 61602
Summary: In hopes of raising a Cobra Prince and a deadly warrior, Cobra Commander assigns Storm Shadow as toddler Billy's bodyguard in hopes that the ninja's teaching instinct kicks in. Little did he know that Billy may see the white ninja as more than a bodyguard and teacher.
1. Introductions I

**A/N: ***sigh* ... Yeah, I know. I have the bad habit of starting stories then neglecting to update them regularly. Sorry about that; my mind goes where it wants to go. Don't worry - school is now out and I'll have a lot of free time to write (and draw; that's why I haven't updated in a while). This one should be the last new story for a while. I'll update the others in due time.

* * *

Storm Shadow knew a lot of things. He knew how to enter just about any building, regardless of security measures taken by those who owned it. He knew the heartbeats of Vipers who had foolishly irritated him and made sure to give them an extra hard glare whenever he walked past them. He knew how to kill any man in less than three blows and leave no evidence of the murder.

What he _didn't _know - however - was why he was being replaced.

"Master?" he stared in surprise up at Cobra Commander. "What do you mean I am not needed for a while?"

"It means what it means." The Commander leaned back casually in his throne. "I am changing your assignment temporarily."

Storm Shadow blinked. How... odd. "Have I displeased you?"

The masked figure shook his head. "As rare as the answer may be, no - you have not displeased me. Quite the opposite, actually. " Slowly, he stood up and began walking towards the ninja. "Cobra can really use your... skills."

_That much is clear,_ Storm thought sourly. "Then what would you have me do?"

Cobra Commander laughed, his voice as unpleasant as nails on a chalkboard. "A very important job, Storm Shadow." Lifting his head, he regarded the door to the throne room. "Let him in."

Slowly, the doors opened to reveal... a small boy flanked by two armed Vipers.

"Storm Shadow," Cobra Commander gestured to the child. "You will be guarding him for the time being."

He raised an eyebrow. "A kid. You want me to guard a kid." If this was a joke, it was one hell of a stupid joke. In fact, it was downright insulting. He had _not _trained his entire life just to guard a kid. Then again, the same applied to the Commander.

Cobra Commander laughed again, making the back of Storm's neck prickle. "Ah, you should know better than to jump to conclusions, my ninja."

_Not your ninja. _Storm frowned behind his mask.

"This young man," the Commander began, walking over to the child and placing a hand on the kid's shoulder, "is my own son, William."

Oh. That explains it.

Now curious, Storm studied the boy. He looked about five and had brown hair that looked like it was ruffled one too many times. He had a scowl on his face that Storm was willing to bet was given to him by his father, and he wore a red Cobra t-shirt. He was nothing more and nothing less than Storm would have expected from an offspring of Cobra.

Upon seeing the ninja, the boy's expression immediately changed into one of interest. Oh, god. Storm wanted to disappear, to get away from the kid's scrutinizing gaze. Like father, like son, he supposed.

"Father, who is this?" the boy asked, walking towards the white figure before him. "A ninja?"

"A ninja," the Commander confirmed. Storm could hear the pride in his voice. "You asked for one, so I got you the best of the best."

Wait. Storm turned to the faceless man before him. "Commander..." He was careful to keep his voice even. "I was under the impression that I am to be this boy's-"

"William," the Commander corrected.

Clenching his jaw, he continued. "_William's_ bodyguard, not his 'present'."

The man made a dismissive motion with his hand. "You'll be staying with him anyways. Whether he sees you as a gift or not doesn't matter to me."

Storm opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. His hands curled into fists. Any man smarter than the Commander might have realized the mortal danger implied when a ninja as formidable as Storm Shadow clenched his fists.

Billy continued staring at his father's gift to him. "Father." He tugged on the Commander's uniform. "Father, he's not black."

One of the Vipers next to Billy had to cough to keep from laughing. Storm visibly frowned through his mask.

"He's so good at what he does that black is boring for him."

"Nuh uh!" Billy stomped his right foot. "Black is better! Black belt is better than white belt, so a black ninja is better than a white ninja."

Cobra Commander sighed audibly and looked at the Vipers. "Attack him." He nodded towards Storm Shadow.

Both Vipers visibly stiffened and exchanged a glance with each other.

"Go on!" the Commander barked.

It was too easy for Storm Shadow. He was already running before he heard the gunshots. Bullets whizzed by him, but none came close to hitting him. For extra flair, he somersaulted and flipped several times. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he ran towards a wall, kicked off of it, and landed right between the two Vipers, forcing them to drop their firearms and block his attacks.

A kick, three punches, and two strikes later, both Vipers were staggering and obviously struggling to keep fighting. Taking pity on them, Storm jumped straight up and kicked each Viper firmly enough on the chest to send them sprawling on the floor.

Billy laughed and clapped his hands. "Do it again!" he giggled excitedly.

Cobra Commander simply inclined his head and brought a hand up to his right ear. "Viper squad 596, report to the throne room."

Ah, great.

* * *

Half an hour later, Storm Shadow decided that he didn't like the Commander's son at all.

He kind of regretted losing control the last five minutes of his 'show'. Up until then, he had been using his sword solely for blocking and deflecting bullets. He'd just sort of... snapped, and before he knew it, the entire squad was on the blood-splattered floor, groaning softly. At first, Storm felt remorseful for wounding them - it wasn't their fault he was in this situation, but he had lost his patience when William demanded yet another encore.

With a flick, he shook the blood off of his swords and carefully resheathed them. "Anything else, William?" he asked, his voice strained and his words clipped.

The boy looked thoughtful. "Yes."

Shit.

"What's your name?"

Oh. That wasn't too bad. "Storm Shadow."

Billy's eyes widened and he tugged incessantly on Cobra Commander's cape. "Father," he whispered loudly. "Is that his real name?"

"Indeed it is, my son."

"That's a cool name!"

"I know."

"Can I have an awesome name like that?"

Cobra Commander smoothed his son's hair. "You will, my son. You will."

Billy's lower lip stuck out and he ducked away from his father's hand. "But I want one _now!_"

"You'll get your name when you earn it." And with that, the Commander returned to his throne. "Storm Shadow, your task from now on is watching over my son and making sure he is not harmed."

Storm stared at him. "What about you?"

"I've found temporary replacements for you."

He heard approaching heartbeats, and his eyes widened. In a flash, he had his swords out and turned-

His blades clashed loudly with another sword. Calmly, he stared at the razor-sharp edge a few inches away from his face. Had he reacted a blink of an eye later, he would be dead.

The new ninja smirked and removed his blade from Storm's. "Young Master." He did a mocking, sweeping bow. "I did not expect to see you here."

"You liar. You saw me, recognized me, and attacked me."

"Obviously." Dice ran his thumb along the side of his katana. "After all, don't think that we've forgiven you for bringing a _gaijin_ to the clan."

"He's not a _gaijin_. He's my brother. Also, 'we'?"

"Mmhm. Yes. Then would you care to explain why your brother is on the opposing faction of this whole conflict? Some brother. As expected from a _gaijin_."

Storm chose not to respond. His ears picked up second heartbeat, and moments later, Slice dropped silently into the room. He didn't acknowledge the second ninja and instead glared at the figure on the throne. "You brought traitors here."

"Oh, did I?" Cobra Commander leaned back languidly. "Ninja vendetta, I'm assuming?"

"They betrayed my uncles." Storm Shadow's voice was hard and cold.

"Sure, whatever." The Commander sat up. "Slice, Dice, meet Storm Shadow. Storm Shadow, meet Slice and Dice. Slice, Dice, I expect you not to provoke or disturb Storm Shadow. Storm, if Slice and Dice attack you, you may kill them if you wish."

Dice let out an indignant sputter, only to be silenced when the Commander looked at him.

"So Slice and Dice are to guard you?" Storm didn't take his eyes off of Cobra Commander.

"Yes." The man somehow managed to look pleased as both ninjas moved to stand on either side of him.

"And I am to guard your son until I receive further notice."

"Yes."

Storm Shadow nodded slowly. "Understood... Commander."

Cobra Commander nodded, apparently satisfied. "Storm, you are to move your belongings to the room next to William's. William, feel free to give your new ninja a tour of your room after he's finished moving in."

Billy nodded so hard his upper body shook. "Yes, father." He turned to Storm and grabbed his hand. "Come, Stormy!" And he dragged him out of the throne room.

Storm could already feel a headache building up.

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, special thanks to Greentigerr for her editing help. She FINALLY started writing! Her first G.I. Joe story, "Movie Night" _should _be out. *eyes Greentigerr suspiciously* It's a Snake-Eyes/Scarlett story, so if you like the pairing, you should have a look. She's listed under my Favorite Authors.


	2. Introductions II

Billy was completely, utterly, fascinated with his new toy.

A ninja! Billy had never seen one before, much less watched one fight. He had been expecting an action figure when he asked for a ninja, but this was _much _better!

Storm Shadow was everything - well, _almost _everything - Billy imagined in a ninja. His footsteps were seen but not heard, and instead of like the dark shadow Billy had been expecting, he moved like a white ghost, silent and intimidating. Which was better, he realized, now that Billy had seen him fight.

It took Storm Shadow a while to move everything to his new quarters, and the entire time, he was followed by a slightly annoying, slightly loud kid. After about the fifth trip, Billy's footsteps grew noticeably quieter. Ah. He had noticed the ninja's soundless steps and was making a considerable effort to silence his own feet.

"Stormy?" he asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Oh, god. What do you want, kid?" Storm shoved a box of... something under his bed.

Billy turned his nose up and frowned. "My name is Billy, not Kid!"

"Yeah, whatever. I thought your name was William?" Storm carefully began arranging his knife collection.

"William is too long. I like Billy!"

"Billy, huh." The white ninja climbed onto the provided desk and tested each ceiling panel with a hand. "Who gave you that name?"

"Me!" Billy scrambled onto the desk as well and looked up.

"Uh huh." Storm rapped his knuckles lightly on a specific ceiling panel and pushed gently on it. It felt and sounded loose. Good.

"Stormy, what are these?" He felt a slight tug and looked down. Billy was holding the ends of his coat-tails and examining them intently.

"Part of my uniform." Storm Shadow pried his coat free from the child's grip. "Don't touch, please." And he returned to his work.

Not five seconds later, he felt a small hand on the back of his thigh. "What are they for?"

"The coattails or my legs?"

"Both."

"_Both?_" Storm turned around to stare incredulously at the kid. "Was that sarcasm?"

Two brown eyes stared back at him. "No," he replied honestly. "What's 'sockism'?"

The ninja blinked. "... My coattails are just decoration, and... uhh... my legs are to help me get around, William. I think you should know that."

"I'm asking what are _ninja_ legs for, and my name is BILLY!"

"Fine. Billy. Whatever. And what do you mean by ninja legs?"

"Like yours!"

Storm rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ninja legs are for doing anything and everything, from running to powering a kick. Please be happy with that as my answer."

"Everything? Can you eat with them?"

The white ninja threw his hands up in frustration. "Why, ABSOLUTELY, Billy! Ninjas use their legs to pick up food ALL the time!"

Billy tilted his head. "Really?" he breathed. "That's cool! Can you show me?"

Storm banged his head on the wall repeatedly, making a dull _thunk_ every time. "No, Billy. I can't show you."

"Why?"

"I don't want to."

Billy whacked his leg.

Storm immediately caught his hand. "No hitting," he said sternly.

Billy wriggled out of his hold. "You're my ninja! I can do whatever I want to you!" He placed his hands on his hips and stomped his foot. "And I ORDER YOU TO PICK FOOD UP WITH YOUR FEET!"

One of Storm's eyes twitched. "I'm your bodyguard - not your ninja, and if you keep up this attitude, I just might look the other way during an assassination attempt."

Billy crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "I'm going to tell Father you said that."

Despite his irritation, Storm couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear. If Cobra Commander caught word that he had indirectly threatened his son, his own life could be in danger.

Billy looked up at him with the most ridiculously smug smile Storm had ever seen. _Of course_, Storm thought. _Being the Commander's son has its perks, including the ability to threaten others with his father's wrath._

He recalled his observations from half an hour ago when he had been moving his things. Every single Viper he and Billy passed had an elevated heart-rate. Storm had assumed that it was because they caught sight of his collection of knives. After all, word had probably spread by then about the events of that morning and the squad Storm had battled.

He'd been wrong. They were scared of the little tyrant-to-be that followed him everywhere. He was dealing with a mini-Cobra Commander.

Storm frowned as a disturbing thought suddenly entered his mind. "Billy?"

The change in Storm's tone wiped the smirk off of Billy's face. "Yes?"

"How long have you been on base?" Storm squatted so he was closer to Billy's height. The desk creaked in protest.

Billy appeared to be thinking hard. "I don't know."

That wasn't good. "Do you remember any place other than this?"

The child shook his head. "I just remember here. Father says that this is my home."

"So you've been here for a long as you can remember."

Billy nodded.

Storm narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to the boy. He held back a smile when he saw fear flicker across Billy's eyes. "Then - tell me," his voice was cold, "how come I've never seen you around? I've been with Cobra for two years, yet I haven't met you until today. I haven't heard your heartbeat so much as once the entire time I've been here."

Billy actually started fidgeting. "I... I dunno, Stormy."

"So you're saying you just materialized out of thin air and appeared on base without anybody but the Commander knowing."

Billy straightened up and looked bravely into the ninja's eyes. "Yes," he said with as much conviction as a five year-old could manage.

Storm sighed. "Nobody can do that, Billy."

"Yeah huh! Then how come ninjas can appear from anywhere?"

"That is beside the point, Billy."

"If ninjas can do it, so can I! I just poofed onto base!"

Storm's eyebrows rose. "Really. So you're saying anything I can do, you can do?"

Billy nodded enthusiastically. "If you help me, I can do anything!" The boy paused, then grinned widely. "Maybe... you should teach me!"

The white ninja chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully. Train the Commander's son and perhaps show him a new way of looking at life. It sounded really, really tempting. Already, the teacher part of him was planning lesson one, then lesson two...

Storm firmly ordered that part of him to shut up. He was supposed to guard Billy - not teach him. "Fine." He nodded. "If you can follow me to your room, then I'll teach you."

Billy nodded enthusiastically... until Storm lifted a ceiling panel up and to the side, then climbed up and disappeared. "Well?" His voice echoed slightly. "Are you coming?"

Shaking slightly, Billy stood under the hole, staring up into the darkness. How was he even supposed to get up there?

"Stormy," he whispered. No answer. "Stormy!" he screamed, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He didn't like being left alone.

"I'm right here, kid. Gosh, don't scream. It hurts my ears." Storm Shadow's head appeared over the edge of the hole.

"Stormy..." Billy sniffled, holding his hands up.

With a long sigh, Storm reached down and grabbed ahold of the boy's arm. "You're more trouble than you're worth, you know?" And with that said, he yanked him into the ceiling.

* * *

Special Thanks to Greentigerr for her usual help.


	3. Introductions III

"_This _is your room?" Storm blinked.

"Uh huh!" Billy ran towards his bed, jumped, and landed in the middle, effectively messing up the covers. "I sleep right here," he told him informatively.

"Oh, really?" The ninja rolled his eyes. "I thought you slept on the floor. I had _no idea _you slept on the _only_ bed in the room."

Billy sat up and stared at him. "Are you stupid? Of course I sleep on the bed!"

"That was your first lesson on 'sockism,' kid," Storm replied dryly as he replaced the ceiling tile and began walking around the room. At a first glance, it looked like a normal boy's room - the walls were painted blue, there was a small drawing table complete with crayons and paper, and toy helicopters and soldiers were littered everywhere. But as he continued his inspection, he noticed Cobra symbols on... everything.

"This is insane," he muttered as he stared at a poster of Cobra Commander above the caption, 'Hail Cobra!' The toy helicopters, planes, and soldiers all had the Cobra insignia, and the symbol was painted on the wall above Billy's bed. Heck - even the stencils on the drawing table were of the Cobra symbol. "This looks like some sort of propaganda torture room."

Billy didn't respond to the comment. He was too busy staring at the symbol on his pillow and trying to mimic the snake's opened mouth.

"Hey, kid."

"Billy!"

"Fine, Billy. Do you have any kind of secret hiding places in your room?"

The boy narrowed his eyes in an attempt to appear suspicious, but only managed to look like he was nearsighted. "If I told you, then it wouldn't be a secret." He steepled his fingers and glared playfully at Storm over them.

"Are any of them big enough to fit you?"

"I can't tell you!"

"Fine. I'll go looking, then." Storm got down and looked under the boy's bed. Immediately, he spotted a shoe box.

"No, no, no!" Fifty pounds of determined kid slammed into him. "No touching!"

"Not touching! Chill out, kid. Do you _want _someone hiding under your bed waiting to kill you?" Storm reached under the bed and carefully felt around as two small fists assaulted his back. "What the hell is in that box, anyways? Drugs? Pictures of girls?"

"NO TOUCHING!" Billy screamed.

"I'm _not_ touching! Gosh, kid, give me a break." He grabbed the back of Billy's shirt and pulled the boy off of him.

The Commander's son was momentarily stunned into silence, then exploded. "You touched me!"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"I touched your _shirt._"

"YOU TOUCHED ME!" Billy started thrashing and kicking on the floor.

Storm's ears rang, and he felt a persistent throb on his forehead. "Shut up. Please, shut _up_."

"I'm gunna tell dad you touched me!"

"Go ahead." Grumbling, Storm pressed an ear against the wall and began knocking in various places, seeking out thin spots. "See if I care."

Billy blinked. That threat usually worked. "I-I'm gunna do it!"

"Like I said - go right on ahead." Storm took a step back and frowned at the walls. They were fortified with concrete and unusually thick. At least he wouldn't have to worry about a possible insurgent crashing into Billy's room through the walls.

The child remained quiet for a while, struggling to decide what to do in this situation. Threatening to tell his father usually scared people into doing what he pleased. Maybe... the ninja was faking it. Maybe he really _was_ scared, but didn't want to show it. After all, isn't that what ninjas did? Pretend?

Satisfied with his evaluation, Billy got up off of the floor and walked over to the ninja. "Stormy-"

"It's either _Storm Shadow_ or _Storm_ - not 'Stormy.' Gosh, kid. It's not that difficult."

"Can I call you bobbyguard?"

Storm glared down at him. "No, and it's _bodyguard_. Bah_-dee_-guard. Not 'bobbyguard.'"

"Stormy." Billy ignored the helpful pronunciation guide and tugged on one of his coattails. "I know your secret," he whispered loudly.

Storm's expression didn't change, not that Billy could tell with his mask in the way. "Really."

Billy nodded. "You're scared of Father," he said triumphantly.

Sighing, Storm went back to checking every nook and cranny. "I'm not scared of anybody."

"Don't worry!" Billy patted his leg reassuringly. "Your secret is safe with me - I won't tell Father you touched me."

"For the last time, kid-"

"BILLYYY!"

Storm glared at him. "... _Kid_, I didn't touch you, and I'm not scared of the Commander so you can tell him whatever the heck you want. Tell him I turned pink and sprouted wings, for all I care."

Billy looked dumbfounded at the mental image. "But..."

"But everyone else here is afraid of him?" Storm finished. "Well, are Destro and the Baroness scared of him?"

Billy contemplated the question. He didn't see Destro around much, and the one time he wandered into his workshop, all he got was very loud, very firm, "GO. AWAY."

Then there was the Baroness. Billy liked her a little more. She didn't yell at him or tell him to go away. In fact, she gave him a hug and some strange treat once. She also said his name funny, like, "Bee-lee," but only when his father wasn't around.

"They're not scared," Billy finally answered quietly. "They're important."

"Exactly. Their presence is vital to Cobra's whole operation, so Cobra Commander can't do anything to them."

Now curious, Billy tilted his head back to look at the white-clad ninja. Unintentionally, he rested both hands on Storm Shadow's leg for support. "You said you're not afraid. How are you important?"

"Guess."

"You..." Billy's face scrunched up. "You..." He scratched his head, thinking.

Storm Shadow grew impatient. "I was your father's bodyguard. I keep him alive when people want to kill him."

"Ohhhhh... wait." Confused, the boy yanked on his coattails again. "But you're _my _bobbyguard!"

"Yeah, unfortunately." Reaching down, Storm freed his uniform and held the ends out of Billy's reach. The constant tugging was starting to bother him. "I got reassigned. The Commander _really _doesn't want anything bad happening to you."

Suddenly realizing he had nothing to pull on, Billy jumped up and down, staring at the man's hand. "GIMME! MINE!"

"No." Storm fiddled with the door, making sure the locks were secure.

"I WANNA!"

"_My _coattails - not yours. Get your own." Ignoring the child's indignant protests, he turned his attention back to the door. It had two locks - one controlled by a panel outside and one that could be locked from inside the room, just in case an intruder managed to enter the correct code. The door itself was strong and a little heavy, so that it couldn't be kicked down.

Storm slowly exhaled. Cobra Commander did a good job keeping his son relatively safe in his own room.

"STORMYY! GIMME!" Billy had given up jumping and was now standing on tip-toes, wiggling his fingers at him.

His only response was to walk over to Billy's bed and sit on it, coattails safely tucked under him.

* * *

**A/N: ** I actually have _no idea _how the Baroness would say Billy's name, so I just... kinda tried to hear her voice in my head and write the pronunciation. Please tell me the correct way if you know what it is and I'll change it.


	4. No Sugar Before Bedtime

Storm Shadow stared at the clock. Twenty-two hundred hours, or ten o'clock at night.

And Billy still wasn't tired.

Donning footie pajamas featuring the Cobra symbol, the five year-old squealed and smacked him with a pillow for the tenth time in the last minute, not caring that the ninja wasn't reacting to the assault. Storm resisted sighing. During his dinner break, he had gone back to his room and found a pair of earplugs, but they didn't make Billy's vocal exclamations any less unpleasant. Weren't kids supposed to get bored when their playmate didn't respond?

Billy walked in front of him and gave him another whack with his pillow before dropping and sitting on it. "Stormy, how do ninjas sleep?"

"With their eyes closed."

"No, how do they _really _sleep?"

A roll of the eyes. "With great difficulty, especially if they have to watch over a little boy who refuses to sleep."

Huffing, Billy stood up and swung his pillow toward Storm's head. "I'm. Not. A. Little. Boy!" He emphasized each word with a hit.

The ninja didn't move away from the assault; Billy wasn't very strong, and the pillow was awfully squishy. "News flash - hitting people doesn't make you a man, kid."

The pillow stilled. "But Father does it all the time! And he's a man!"

"He likes to think that he is."

Billy giggled. "You're funny."

Storm groaned. "I'm not funny. I'm tired. Go to sleep."

"Don't feel like it!"

"I need sleep too, kid. And I'm not allowed to fall asleep until you are in bed."

Eyes lighting up, Billy placed his pillow down and patted it. "You can sleep here!"

Storm finally allowed himself to sigh. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't think your father would want that."

"Why nooot?" Billy whined. "You're my bobbyguard!"

"Because I'm not a family member, and there is no reason for me to sleep here." Storm rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Honestly, Billy. When do you usually go to sleep?"

"Whenevah I want!" Billy looked proud of himself.

"... That's not healthy. Kids like you need a set bedtime."

"I'm not a kid! AND I DON'T WANNA SLEEP!"

Storm silently thanked whoever invented earplugs. "Well, you're going to get tired soon. You've been jumping around all day."

Billy nodded excitedly as he dragged his blankets off of the bed and draped them over Storm's head, completely covering him. "You look like a mountain!"

A grumble, followed by a very unenthusiastic, "Yay."

"A biiiiig mountain," he declared as he went to get a toy helicopter and a handful of toy soldiers. He set a few precariously on Storm's head and knocked them off with the helicopter.

Storm sighed from underneath the blanket. "Did you have caffeine or sugar in the last two hours?"

"I had chocolate cake and shoda!"

"_Soda. _Soh-dah," Storm couldn't help correcting. "You shouldn't have those things before bed, kid. In fact, you shouldn't be having them at all."

"BUT I LIKE CHOCOLATE!"

"Diabetes, kid. Heard of it before? Nasty thing to have. Means you can't eat whatever you want. And one of the ways to get it? Excessive sugar."

Eyes widening, Billy stared at his ninja bodyguard in shock before taking the edge of the blanket and yanking it off. "... You're lying!" he accused.

A little pleased that he was no longer a geographic landmark, Storm stared back at him. "Not lying. Ask Scalpel if you don't believe me."

Panic bubbled up inside of Billy and he wrung the corner of his blanket nervously. If his ninja was confident enough to name another person who knew the same thing, then he _couldn't _be lying. "I don't want dee-bee-tees!" he cried, sniffling.

_Oh, god. He was going to cry. _"You don't have diabetes," Storm quickly said. "I'm just saying that you probably shouldn't have so much sugar." He frowned. "And so close to your bedtime, too. It's not good for you."

"But I like sugar!"

"You can still have sugar - just limit your intake and _don't _consume it when you're supposed to go to bed soon."

Billy stared at his bed. "Bed?"

"Yes. Bed. Sleep. Rest. Now, please." Storm rose to his feet and picked up the discarded pillow. It was a little wrinkled and battered-looking, but not dirtied, at least.

"Not sleepy!"

The ninja groaned. Of course. Even if Billy went to bed right now, he would be too restless to fall asleep. The sugar and caffeine in his body would keep him awake. "Alright, fine." He tossed the pillow onto the bed. "Follow me."

Excited, Billy tugged furiously on one of his coattails as soon as he turned around to open the door. "Where are we going?"

"To the dojo."

"Doh-joe?"

"Yes. Dojo. A place to train." He opened the door.

"Train?" Billy asked a little too loudly.

Storm covered his mouth with two fingers. "Yes," he whispered. "Stay quiet. You can talk once we get there."

"Okay."

With a nod, the ninja turned around and walked away. Billy jogged to keep up with him, utterly distracted by his swinging coattails. The hallways were completely silent, although Storm could hear loud, drunk partying on the floor above. _He's growing up with bad influences everywhere, _he thought somberly.

As soon as Storm flipped the lights on in the dojo, Billy shrieked with delight and began running in circles around the room. "IT'S SO BIG!"

"Yeah." The ninja sat down. "Get the sugar out of your system. Go on."

Much to Storm Shadow's disappointment, the boy stopped running as soon as he noticed his bodyguard on the ground. "Stormy? Whatcha doin'?"

"Go run, kid. I'll wait."

"Don't wanna."

Storm's right eye twitched. "Fine. Do _something _that will get your heart-rate up and your muscles warm."

Billy seemed to consider this, then grabbed the man's wrist. "Hide and seek?"

"Really, now. You want to play hide and seek with a _ninja?_ You're never going to find me, you know."

"No - _you _find me."

"I can hear your heartbeat, genius. No matter where you hide in this room, I'll know where you are." He didn't bother to mention that he had earplugs in at the moment.

Jaw dropping, Billy stared at the ninja before whispering loudly, "Can you hear meeee?"

"I don't know - can _you_ hear _me _right now?" Storm whispered back at the same volume.

With a small 'hmph,' the young boy looked around the room. "Fine - then what do you wanna do?"

"I want to go to sleep."

"That's no fun!"

"You need rest too."

"NO!" Billy raised his hand and slapped the ninja across the face - or he tried to.

Storm Shadow was on his feet in an instant, fingers wrapped around the child's forearm. The boy sputtered in surprise and tried to free himself, with no result.

"You want to play a game, Billy?" the ninja asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Alright. Then let's play a game. Pretend I'm an assassin, and you're my target. Avoid me for ten minutes, and you win. But if I catch you before your ten minutes is up..." He chuckled darkly. "Then you lose. So what are you waiting for, Billy? Run. Run for your life."

Billy grinned and took off out the door, screaming with laughter.

* * *

It didn't take long for Billy to realize that he should probably stop screaming and save his breath for running. Panting, he threw a glance over his shoulder, and promptly yelped in surprise. Storm Shadow was only a few meters behind him, and catching up fast. The sight of the ninja sent fear and excitement through him, and Billy sped up, shrieking as he ran down the stairs.

Storm was taking his time, jogging behind Billy. It was quite amusing, seeing the child run with all his might to escape at such a slow pace.

"NonoNO! Stormy, no!" Billy laughed when he reached the lower floor level and sprinted down a hallway.

Behind him, Storm gave a playful snarl, and Billy squealed in excitement as he continued running. His breathing was heavier, and he was slowing significantly, but at least he wasn't keeping still.

Billy looked ahead and immediately regretted choosing this corridor; it led to a dead-end, and - for a moment - he felt nothing but pure panic. A quick look told him that the ninja was _really _close behind him, almost close enough to touch.

Desperate to get away, he looked all over for an exit of some sort. His eyes fell on the entrance to the lounge. Yes! There!

Storm pressed himself against the wall near the lounge door and counted to five, just long enough to allow Billy to hide, before walking into the room. "Looks like you're going to get your hide-and-seek game after all," he said to the dark lounge as he slowly strolled past chairs and tables.

Peering out from his hiding place between two sofas, Billy struggled to catch his breath as he watched his white bodyguard. "I can hear you, Billy." There was a faint, metallic sound, and he saw a gleam near Storm Shadow's leg. He had drawn his sword.

Huddling, he continued observing the ninja. Storm wouldn't hurt him - he knew that for certain - but it was hard to deny that the man could be _scary _whenever he wanted to. And at that very moment, Billy couldn't help but feel as if he was an actual target. It was a bit terrifying, yet so very exciting.

Even with earplugs still in, Storm had no problem pinpointing the Commander's son - he was breathing _way _too loudly. However, if Billy's still-erratic breaths were any indication, he _might _have overdone the game a bit.

One hand returned his sword to its sheath while the other flicked a switch. Light flooded the room, and Billy accidentally squeaked in surprise. Storm pivoted and walked briskly over to the boy's hiding place. "Found you."

Blinking, the child looked up at him. "Did I win?"

Storm looked at a nearby clock. Billy had only managed to stay away from him for eight minutes. "... Yeah, you won, kid."

The look of utter surprise on his face almost made the ninja laugh. "I did?!"

"Yes, you did."

Billy stared at the man for several dumbfounded seconds before grabbing his arm and hugging it to his chest. "I won! I won! I won! I ran away from a ninja!"

With a sudden uneasiness, Storm freed his arm. "Yes, you did. How do you feel?"

His answer came, satisfyingly, in the form of a yawn and tired gaze as the effects of adrenaline in Billy's body slowly faded. The boy climbed onto a couch and sat down, head rolled onto the armrest. "Not tired..."

Storm fought back a triumphant grin as he walked over. "I'm sure you're not."

Billy didn't protest when strong arms wrapped around his body and lifted him up. He mumbled incoherently and buried his face against Storm's chest, the ninja's warmth reminding him of his bed.

Bed... sleep... sleep suddenly sounded like a very good idea.

By the time Storm Shadow returned to Billy's room, the boy was fast asleep. As gently as he could, he set the child down on his bed and tucked his blankets around him.

"Sleep well, kid," he whispered before turning out the lights and closing the door behind him. Tomorrow morning, he was going to have a word with the kitchen staff regarding what Billy was and was not allowed to eat before bedtime.

He crawled into his own bed and closed his eyes. But until then, he was going to get some much-needed rest.


	5. Storm Shadow's Face

Hot showers were one of the few luxuries Storm Shadow allowed himself to enjoy in moderation. He always kept them short; it wouldn't do for Cobra Commander to request his presence immediately while he was washing up.

Droplets of water clung to Storm's hair as he briskly toweled himself down. As soon as his body was moderately dry, he draped the towel over his head and gave it a quick rub. Black hair stuck out in all directions, and he pulled on a pair of clean pants and exhaled slowly.

The day had actually started out pretty well. Billy had been asleep when he checked on him and there had been _actual _food in the mess hall this time. Sure, he had gotten a little dirty during PT, but that was kind of a given. As expected, he had received a few contemptuous looks throughout the base, but he easily ignored them. After all, he had basically been demoted from guarding the Commander to babysitting his whiny son - a position not to be envied.

Now, from the looks of it, Billy was finally awake. And screaming. Storm chewed on his bottom lip as he heard the boy loudly demanding sweets from his room. Never mind the fortified walls - he could still hear the little tyrant through the ventilation shafts.

"I WANT CAKE! WHERE'S MY CAKE? WHERE'S _STORMY?! _I WANT STORMY!_" _

"Yes, William. I will ask the cooks if we have any cake." The Viper sounded very agitated and nervous. "And I believe Mister Shadow is in his room. Why don't you ask him? I'm sure he can fulfill your requests much better than I can."

Storm made a mental note to drive that particular Viper's head _painfully _into the training mat during the next hand-to-hand session.

Billy whined very loudly at the Viper's less than satisfactory answer. "GIMME CAKE."

"I'm going to go get cake, William, just... please, calm down." In the hallway, Storm heard Billy's door open and close, then the rapid footsteps of someone running away. Irresponsible soldier.

Billy had quieted. Storm listened hopefully. With any luck, maybe he had fallen asleep again. Such thoughts perished when he heard the boy's heartbeat right outside his room. Biting back a groan, he put on a shirt. _Maybe he's just passing by. Please let him be just passing by. _

His desperate hoping was useless, for the chirpy, "Stooormyyy..." that followed only served to confirm Billy's intentions. He ground his teeth together.

"Go away, kid." Storm shrugged into his coat and checked to make sure his weapons were in place. "I'll be out in a minute."

No answer, then the quiet beeps of a code being typed in. The door hissed open.

_How rude. _Storm rolled his eyes and turned around. "Billy, if I say I'll be out in a minute, you can count on me being out in a min..." He blinked. "Billy?"

The boy was staring at him, eyes almost completely round and mouth hanging open in such a shocked expression that Storm had to mentally check that he wasn't wearing his pants backwards or something.

"St-Stor... wha?" he sputtered, then- "Whaaa... AAHHHHHH!"

Storm winced and had to cover his ears when Billy gave a very loud, very high-pitched, scream. "YOU'RE NOT STORMY!" He bolted away, legs a blur as he shot off as fast as he could, shrieking the entire way.

The ninja couldn't do anything but stare after the small retreating figure. What. The. _Hell?_ Was the kid hallucinating? Maybe someone slipped something into his cup of milk. Maybe Billy didn't get enough sleep. Maybe... this was all just a dream, and none of it was real. After all, he was himself, the last time he checked, so there was no good reason for his small client to think otherwise.

Shrugging, he pulled his fingerless gloves on and reached for his mask... the mask, he realized with a sudden start, that had always been on in the child's presence.

He almost smacked himself. Of course. Billy had never seen his face before.

"... Wait! Billy, wait!" Storm ran out the door, snatching his mask on the way and hastily putting it on.

* * *

Slender fingers drummed against the tabletop idly as the woman known as the Baroness sipped at her cup of coffee. She glanced at the clock. She hadn't talked to James since... three hours and five minutes ago, when he had decided to open that _stupid _metal-covered mouth of his and speak his mind.

Oh, well. No matter. In the end, he would be the one apologizing. She _always _got her way when it came to her relationship with Destro - that was no lie, and everybody knew it.

She took another sip, and frowned. Did she just hear... ? Setting the cup down, she tried listening for it again.

There it was! Except much clearer this time. A sort of... whine? No, not a whine, but similar to it. A human-made whine, but nobody she could recall off the top of her head could make a noise like that-

"Eeeeeee...EEEE!" The door flew open, and something crashed directly into her legs. "B-Bara... Stormy im-impaahh..." a small voice stuttered as the child commonly known around base as the Commander's brat cowered behind her high-heeled leather boots.

She sighed and adjusted her glasses before squatting down to his height. "Calm down, Billy." She pulled him against her in a brief hug. "Tell me what's wrong."

Two small hands pressed against her cheeks as the little boy stared right into her eyes, desperation lacing his voice. "St-Stormy... not Stormy. Not ni-ninja. N-not him. No, no, no. Impah... impah-"

"What?" Baroness took Billy's hands in hers, confused. "Storm Shadow is not a ninja? What is 'impah?'"

Before the boy could try to explain, the white figure appeared at the doorway. Storm leaned against the frame, arms crossed and eyes emotionless. Billy immediately went berserk, screaming and wriggling despite the Baroness' best efforts to keep him in place. "Storm Shadow!" She stood up. "What did you do to William?"

He regarded her evenly, the calm and control in his gaze a stark contrast to the panicking five-year old. "_I_ didn't do anything. He came into my room when I was still getting dressed and saw me without my mask."

She placed a hand on her hip, over her small pistol. "Zartan," she snarled, "this is not the time for jokes. You know William hates watching you change."

Storm snorted. "Zartan left this morning on an espionage mission, so I'm really me."

"Then why did Billy get scared?"

A thoughtful tilt of the head. "I think it is because he's never seen a ninja unmasked before."

She considered this. "That is... likely the cause." Walking over to the table, she bent over and looked at the small, huddled mass underneath the desk. "Billy, it's just Storm Shadow. Come on out."

Stubbornly, he shook his head. "Not Stormy. Stormy is a ninja."

"Yes, Storm is a ninja," she agreed and offered a gloved hand. "But he's also a human being, and all human beings have faces." The corner of her mouth quirked in a rather nasty smirk. "Well, _almost _all human beings have faces. The Joes' ninja doesn't have much of one."

Billy stared at her hand for a good ten seconds before cautiously taking it and letting her drag him out. "Stormy has a face?" he squeaked.

"Yes." She released him and walked casually over to the man. "And a pretty handsome one, at that." A finger trailed along his jawline.

He backed away and eyed the security camera pointed right at them. "You got in a fight with Destro, didn't you." His eyes narrowed accusingly.

Instantly, her expression fell, and she opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Billy. "But ninjas aren't humans. They're _ninjas!_" He paused. "Is Stormy half-human?"

Baroness laughed, an unpleasant sound that set Storm Shadow on edge. "No, sweetie," she crooned as she straightened Billy's hair and brushed an invisible speck off of his shoulder. "Despite what everyone thinks, ninjas are simply humans with special skills."

The boy looked like his mind had been blown into pieces. "... Humans?" he muttered. "Like… people?"

"Humans," she confirmed, patting his cheek. "Storm, mask off," she ordered.

He scowled. "Why?"

"Because I said so, that's why!" she snapped.

He yanked his mask off with far more force than necessary. If his hair hadn't be mussed by the action, he would have appeared a lot more threatening. Glaring at the woman in front of him, he crossed his arms, obviously displeased. "Happy now?"

"Very much so," she purred, stroking Billy's head before looking down at him. "See? He's human."

Not daring to take his eyes off of his bodyguard, he grabbed Baroness' hand. "Ninjas are peoples?" he muttered.

"Yes. Much like you and me."

Silence filled the room as Billy stared unblinkingly at Storm Shadow. "He... looks..." A giggle bubbled up in his throat. "... _weeeeeeeird_."

The Baroness burst into laughter while Storm pressed his very-existent face into his hand. "He's Asian, Billy."

"A-zen?"

"That's right. That means he's from the East. Japan, to be specific."

Billy gave her a blank look, obviously not certain what a 'Japan' was, but soon redirected his attention to white ninja. "He still looks funny. Stormy!"

Storm struggled not to glare at the approaching child and looked away when he started jumping up and down, arms up in the air as he demanded to be picked up. "You have two legs, kid. You can walk."

"Aw, but you don't want to get on Cobra Commander's bad side, do you?" Unhelpfully, Baroness scooped up Billy from behind and almost threw the boy onto him. "Go play with him. Have fun." She produced a small, wrapped candy from a pocket somehow hidden in her skintight suit. Billy squealed, and grabbed it when it got within reach. "Bye, Billy." She planted a juicy kiss on his forehead, unaware that Storm secretly stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Be a good little boy, and don't torture 'Stormy' too much. We still need him in one piece."

With the candy in his mouth, all Billy could say was "Oh-ay."

Fuming, Storm Shadow headed back to the kid's room.

* * *

**A/N:** "Impah" = the beginning of "imposter."


	6. Cobra Storybooks I

"Kid. Stop."

"Don't wanna."

"I mean it."

"No."

"Do you want a broken finger?"

"... No..."

"Then stop touching me!" Scowling, Storm scooted away from Billy, who just followed him.

"Stormy!"

A quiet growl. "What now?"

"Pick me up!"

"Hell, no."

"Up!"

"No."

"UP!" Billy bounced on his toes and reached for the ninja. "UUUUP!" he whined.

"No!" Storm stepped away, only to be followed again. "As soon as I pick you up, you're going to attack my face, like you've been doing for the past _three hours._"

An eager chirp. "FACE!" The boy stared up happily at him. Storm Shadow had the strangest face Billy had ever seen in his short time alive. His eyes were angled funny, his nose looked unusual, and his mouth was always in a thin, displeased line. Oh, and his hair was fun to play with. And pull. And yank. And tug.

Storm rested his forehead against the wall and counted to ten in quiet Japanese. His efforts to calm down turned out to be in vain when Billy grabbed ahold of his weapons belt and pulled down on it. "Stormyyy..."

"Stop it, alright?" He not-too-gently pried the small fingers off of his belt. "Just _stop_. I am in no mood to deal with you, so cut the crap and go do something else."

Billy looked around his room. He could color, yes, and he could play with his toys, but the white ninja was currently the most interesting thing in the room. "No." He picked up the tips of both coattails and attempted to wrap Storm's legs in them. When the result of his efforts were less than satisfactory, he proceeded to wrap _himself_ in the white fabric. "I'm a burrito!"

Storm Shadow tried not to flinch. Billy's height resulted in the child's head being uncomfortably pressed against him. "You want to be a _real _burrito, kid?" he asked as he freed his uniform. At Billy's eager nod, Storm pinched the bridge of his nose to resist groaning. "Fine."

Eagerly, Billy watched his bodyguard take the covers off of his bed and spread it neatly on the ground before saying, "Lie down." Squealing, he tumbled into the blanket, wriggling around for a moment before Storm picked him up and set him on the edge.

With little effort, Storm began rolling Billy, wrapping him with the blanket and ignoring his giggles of delight. When he was finished, he picked up the roll and laid it on the bed. "There. Now you're a burrito."

Billy looked down at himself and wiggled his feet. "Warm..."

"You're wrapped in a blanket. Of course you're warm." Sighing, he sat down on the floor and closed his eyes in meditation, glad that the boy was temporarily incapacitated. Technically, Billy looked more like a sushi roll than a burrito, but Storm didn't feel like clarifying.

Ten minutes of complete silence had passed before the ninja noticed the quiet breathing from the form on the bed. He rose to his feet and walked over to the bed, leaning over slightly to have a better look. Sure enough, Billy was asleep, mouth slightly open. Storm sighed. He supposed it was time for the child's afternoon nap anyways. He'd wake him up in half an hour.

* * *

The rest of the day had passed relatively peacefully, with the boy occupied throughout the evening with his studies. Storm had watched, disinterested, as the Commander's son struggled through simple addition. Just when he was beginning to wonder how in the world the kid could more-or-less behave for so long, the tutor had pulled out a candy bar and cooed praises as Billy dove into the treat.

Storm sighed as he shook off his shirt. At least Billy didn't need much convincing to go running with him. The little tyke seemed to enjoy doing anything and everything involving the ninja, even physical exercise. Not that Storm felt like complaining too much. Running everyday was beneficial for a kid like Billy, and it was a good habit to have. Now if only he could wean him off of those sweets...

He snorted to himself. Good luck with that. The son of Cobra Commander had and could have anything he wanted. The only way he would ever give up junk food was if he was an Arashikage ninja apprentice.

Now _that _was a thought, a grown-up Billy with the _ji-ji _tattooed onto his forearm. A funny thought, really, considering how far it was from any reasonable possibility.

Shaking his head, Storm crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep.

A few hours later, he woke up to the faint sound of someone entering a code at his door. He was on his feet in less than a second, his left hand holding no less than four shuriken and his right hand clutching his sword.

The door opened with a weak hiss and Storm recognized Billy's heartbeat. Alertness quickly turned into relief, then into irritation. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "It's midnight. You should be asleep."

There was a soft _pitter-patter _as Billy ran over to the man and hugged his leg as tightly as he could. "Stormy."

"Hell, kid. If you woke me up just so you can have a cuddlefest, then for the love of god I am going to-"

"There is a ninja in my room," Billy whispered, his eyes wide.

Storm blinked. _Some ninja, if he managed to sneak in here just to be detected by a kid_. Still, it was better to be careful. "Stay here. I'll go take a look." He pulled the child off of him.

Billy immediately reattached himself to his leg. "I came to protect you!"

"_You _protecting _me?_" If he had been more awake and in a better mood, Storm would have laughed. "Kid, _I'm _the bodyguard here."

"Buh..."

"But what?"

No answer other than Billy burying his face into his hip.

Storm sighed. "Stay here," he repeated as he slipped into the ventilation shafts and carefully made his way to Billy's room, listening carefully.

Complete silence. Not a heartbeat, not a breath. Just the quiet humming of Billy's night-light - the eyes of a Cobra insignia. How in the world a pair of glowing red eyes could be considered soothing to a sleeping child, he did not know.

With no sign of a ninja being there recently, he returned to his own room. "Billy, there are no ninja in your room."

A covered bundle on the bed moved and the blanket lifted. "There is! I saw him." Billy's eyes were wide.

"... Get OUT of my bed."

"But it's warm!"

"NOW."

"Can I please sleep with you?" Billy stared pleadingly up at him.

Storm shook his head firmly. "No. That is _never _going to happen. You go back to your room. There are no ninja; I would have heard them."

"Buh... buh..." Squirming, he wriggled himself deeper into the cot. "I don't wanna."

"You never want to do _anything _but eat and annoy the hell out of the person closest to you," Storm snapped. "There are _no ninja in your room. _How many times do I have to repeat that? And I'm NOT going to let you sleep in this room. Go back to bed!"

"NO!" Billy declared stubbornly. "I. DON'T. WANNA!"

Storm's fingers twitched with the urge to wrap themselves around the brat's neck. He forced himself to take a calming breath. "What's your problem? Are you scared? Worried about ninja? What's going on here?"

"I'm not scared!" Despite his brave words, Storm heard his heart-rate increase. "I just don't want ninjas looking at me!"

"I'm looking at you right now, genius."

"You're friendly, so you're okay." Billy pulled the covers back over his head.

Tiredly, the ninja ran his fingers through his hair. "How about this: I'll stay in your room until you fall asleep and make sure no ninja come?"

Fumbling, and then the child's face reappeared. "Okay," he said meekly.

Exhaling in relief, Storm stood up. "Alright, let's go."

"No."

"Oh, god. What now?"

"Carry me!"

The ninja scowled and scooped him up. "You're as lazy as your father." No more than ten steps later, he dropped him onto his bed. "Sleep. I'm not going to talk to you for the rest of the night, so don't attempt to hold a conversation with me."

He melted into the shadows in a corner. Billy started a little, stunned that the ninja disappeared right in front of him. "Stormy?"

"..."

"Are you there?"

A hand waved at him from the corner. The ninja's outline became more visible as Billy's eyes adjusted to the darkness. Sleepy and sensing that his bodyguard really wasn't going to talk, Billy fell asleep quickly, beneath a haphazard pile of blanket.

Silently, Storm got to his feet and prepared to leave the room when something caught his eye. A children's book that hadn't been there before was sprawled out, open, on the floor. Frowning, he picked it up to examine it closer.

'The Black Demon,' the cover read. Curious, he flipped to the first page.

An illustration of an all-too familiar man clad in black, a metal visor covering his eyes and an Uzi in one hand, stared back at him.

It was all he could do to keep from dropping the book.

* * *

**A/N:** Just a heads-up: do not be surprised if my stories take longer to update. School just started recently. I'll be swarmed with tests, homework, and college applications.


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